This invention generally relates to printer apparatus and methods and more particularly relates to a printer with donor and receiver media supply trays each adapted to allow the printer to sense type of media therein, and method of assembling the printer and trays.
Pre-press color proofing is a procedure used by the printing industry for creating representative images of printed material. This procedure avoids the high cost and time required to produce printing plates and also avoids setting-up a high-speed, high-volume printing press to produce a representative sample of an intended image for proofing. Otherwise, in the absence of pre-press proofing, a production run may require several corrections and be reproduced several times to satisfy customer requirements. This results in lost profits. By utilizing pre-press color proofing, time and money are saved.
A laser thermal printer having half-tone color proofing capabilities is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,708 titled xe2x80x9cLaser Thermal Printer With An Automatic Material Supplyxe2x80x9d issued Dec. 7, 1993 in the name of R. Jack Harshbarger, et al. The Harshbarger, et al. device is capable of forming an image on a sheet of thermal print media by transferring dye from a roll of dye donor material to the thermal print media. This is achieved by applying a sufficient amount of thermal energy to the dye donor material to form the image on the thermal print media. This apparatus generally comprises a material supply assembly, a lathe bed scanning subsystem (which includes a lathe bed scanning frame, a translation drive, a translation stage member, a laser printhead, and a rotatable vacuum imaging drum), and exit transports for exit of thermal print media and dye donor material from the printer.
The operation of the Harshbarger, et al. apparatus comprises metering a length of the thermal print media (in roll form) from the material supply assembly. The thermal print media is then measured and cut into sheet form of the required length, transported to the vacuum imaging drum, registered, and then wrapped around and secured onto the vacuum imaging drum. Next, a length of dye donor roll material is also metered out of the material supply assembly, measured and cut into sheet form of the required length. The cut sheet of dye donor roll material is then transported to and wrapped around the vacuum imaging drum, such that it is superposed in registration with the thermal print media, which at this point has already been secured to the vacuum imaging drum.
Harshbarger, et al. also disclose that after the dye donor material is secured to the periphery of the vacuum imaging drum, the scanning subsystem and laser write head provide the previously mentioned scanning function. This is accomplished by retaining the thermal print media and the dye donor material on the vacuum imaging drum while the drum is rotated past the print head that will expose the thermal print media. The translation drive then traverses the print head and translation stage member axially along the rotating vacuum imaging drum in coordinated motion with the rotating vacuum imaging drum. These movements combine to produce the image on the thermal print media.
According to the Harshbarger, et al. disclosure, after the intended image has been written on the thermal print media, the dye donor material is then removed from the vacuum imaging drum. This is done without disturbing the thermal print media that is beneath the dye donor material. The dye donor material is then transported out of the image processing apparatus by the dye donor exit transport. Additional dye donor materials are sequentially superposed with the thermal print media on the vacuum imaging drum, then imaged onto the thermal print media as previously mentioned, until the intended full-color image is completed. The completed image on the thermal print media is then unloaded from the vacuum imaging drum and transported to an external holding tray, which is associated with the image processing apparatus, by means of the print media exit transport. However, Harshbarger, et al. do not appear to disclose appropriate means for informing the printer of type of donor and receiver material loaded into the printer. It is desirable to inform the printer of type of donor and receiver material loaded into the printer in order to obtain high quality images.
Also, it is known in the printing arts that the previously mentioned dye donor roll is typically wound about a donor supply shaft to define a donor spool, which is loaded into the printer. Also, the previously mentioned receiver (in roll form) is typically wound about a receiver supply shaft to define a receiver spool, which is also loaded into the printer. However, it is desirable to match the specific type donor and receiver with a specific printer, so that high quality images are obtained. For example, it is desirable to inform the printer of the specific dye density comprising the donor, so that the laser write head applies an appropriate amount of heat to the donor in order to transfer a proper amount of dye to the receiver. This is desirable because different donor rolls can have different donor densities. Also, it is desirable to minimize the amount of hardware required to provide the cut sheets to the imaging drum. One means to accomplish this is to provide the donor and receiver to the printer in the form of pre-cut sheets packaged as cartridges.
In addition, it is also desirable to know number of frames (i.e., pages) remaining on a partially used donor or receiver cartridge. This is desirable because it is often necessary to exchange a partially used cartridge of donor or receiver for a full cartridge of donor or receiver. For example, this may be necessary to allow overnight printing when the printer must operate unattended. However, unattended operation of the printer requires precise media inventory control. That is, the printer should be preferably loaded with a full cartridge of donor material and receiver material in order that the printer does not stop printing due to lack of donor material and receiver material during an unattended extended time period (e.g., overnight printing). Therefore, a further problem in the art is insufficient donor and receiver material being present during unattended extended operation of the printer.
Currently, in order to properly calibrate the printer, an operator of the printer determines the characteristics of the donor (e.g., dye density, number of frames remaining on the donor, e.t.c.) and receiver (e.g., thickness, gloss, e.t.c.) and then manually programs the printer with this information to accommodate the specific dye donor and receiver being used. However, manually programming the printer is time consuming and costly. Moreover, the operator may make an error when manually programming the printer. Therefore, another problem in the art is time consuming and costly manual programming of the printer to accommodate the specific dye donor and receiver being used. Thus, an additional problem in the art is operator error associated with manual programming of the printer.
A donor supply spool obviating need to manually program a resistive head thermal printer with frame count information is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,455,617 titled xe2x80x9cThermal Printer Having Non-Volatile Memoryxe2x80x9d issued Oct. 3, 1995 in the name of Stanley W. Stephenson, et al. This patent discloses a web-type dye carrier for use in a thermal resistive head printer and a cartridge for the dye carrier. The dye carrier is driven along a path from a supply spool and onto a take-up spool. Mounted on the cartridge is a non-volatile memory programmed with information, including characteristics of the carrier. A two-point electrical communication format allows for communication to the memory in the device. In this regard, two electrically separated contacts disposed within the printer provide a communication link between the printer and cartridge when the cartridge is inserted into the thermal resistive head printer. Moreover, according to the Stephenson et al. patent, communication between the cartridge and printer can also be accomplished by use of opto-electrical or radio frequency communications. Although the Stephenson et al. patent indicates that communication between the cartridge and printer can be accomplished by use of opto-electrical or radio frequency communications, the Stephenson et al. patent does not appear to disclose specific structure to accomplish the opto-electrical or radio frequency communications. Moreover, although the Stephenson et al. patent discloses a donor supply having a memory programmed with information, the Stephenson et al. patent does not appear to disclose a receiver supply programmed with information.
Therefore, there has been a long-felt need to provide a printer with donor and receiver media supply trays each adapted to allow the printer to sense type of media therein, and method of assembling the printer and trays.
An object of the present invention is to provide a printer with donor and media supply trays each adapted to allow the printer to remotely sense data characteristic of the type of media therein, and method of assembling the printer and trays.
With the above object in view, the present invention resides in a printer adapted to sense data characteristic of the type of media disposed therein, comprising a transceiver for transmitting a first electromagnetic field and for sensing a second electromagnetic field; a media supply tray spaced-apart from said transceiver for supplying the media therefrom; and a transponder having a memory with the transponder connected to said media tray, said memory having data stored therein indicative of the type of media, said transponder capable of receiving the first electromagnetic field and generating a second electromagnetic field in response to the first electromagnetic field received thereby, the second electromagnetic field being sensed by said transceiver and characteristic of the data stored in said memory.
With the above object in view, the invention also resides in a media supply tray adapted to allow a printer to sense data characteristic of the type of a media in the media supply tray, comprising a tray body for supplying the media therefrom; a transceiver spaced-apart from said tray body for transmitting a first electromagnetic field and for sensing a second electromagnetic field; and a transponder having a memory coupled to said tray body and having memory with data stored therein indicative of the type of media, said transponder capable of receiving the first electromagnetic field and generating the second electromagnetic field in response to the first electromagnetic field received thereby, the second electromagnetic field being sensed by said transceiver and characteristic of the data stored in said memory.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a receiver supply tray, which is adapted to allow the printer to sense the type of receiver therein has a supply of the receiver in cut sheet form. Also provided is a donor supply tray, which is adapted to allow the printer to sense the type of donor therein. The donor supply tray has a supply of donor in cut sheet form. A radio frequency transceiver unit is disposed proximate the first and second trays. The radio frequency transceiver unit is capable of transmitting a first electromagnetic field of a predetermined first radio frequency. The transceiver is also capable of sensing a second electromagnetic field of a predetermined second radio frequency. An EEPROM (i.e., Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) semi-conductor chip is contained in a first transponder that is integrally connected to the first tray and has encoded data stored therein indicative of type of receiver contained within the first tray. In addition, another EEPROM semi-conductor chip is contained in a second transponder that is integrally connected to the second tray and has encoded data stored therein indicative of the type of donor contained within the second tray. Both chips are capable of receiving the first electromagnetic field to power the chips. When each chip is powered, each chip generates its respective second electromagnetic field. The second electromagnetic field generated by each chip is characteristic of the encoded data previously stored in that chip. In this manner, the radio frequency transceiver unit senses the second electromagnetic field as each chip generates its respective second electromagnetic field. The second electromagnetic field generated by the first transponder has the receiver media data subsumed therein. The second electromagnetic field generated by the second transponder has the donor media data subsumed therein. The printer then operates in accordance with the media data sensed by the radio frequency transceiver to produce the intended image consistent with the specific type of donor and receiver being used.
A feature of the present invention is the provision of a radio frequency transceiver capable of transmitting a first electromagnetic field to be intercepted by a first transponder having data stored therein indicative of the receiver media and by a second transponder having data stored therein indicative of the donor media, each transponder capable of generating a second electromagnetic field to be sensed by the radio frequency transceiver, the first transponder being integrally connected to a receiver tray and the second transponder being integrally connected to a donor tray.
An advantage of the present invention is that use thereof eliminates need for manual data entry when loading a donor tray or a receiver tray into the printer.
Another advantage of the present invention is that use thereof automatically calculates number of pages (i.e., frames) remaining on partially used donor and receiver supply trays.
Still another advantage of the present invention is that multiple colors of donor cut sheets may be loaded into a single tray in an alternating fashion so as to minimize mechanical complexity. Appropriate data indicative of all colors present in the tray may be encoded and stored in the tray.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that use thereof allows for optimized image reproduction by allowing automatic calibration of the printer according to the specific type of donor and receiver loaded therein so as to reduce need for a plurality of calibration proofs.
A further advantage of the present invention is that use of the invention avoids wear of the donor and receiver supply trays during calibration of the printer.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention.